Caster



" B. B. BLOOD.

CASTER.

APPLICATION HLED JULY23, 1919. 1,409,150, Patented Mar. 14,1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BUR/R B. BLOOD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JEWEL PHONOPARTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CASTER.

T at whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Bonn B. BLOOD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part of my specification.

My invention relates to casters intended to be employed on furniture, more especially on phonograph cabinets and the like; and has for its object the provision of a caster which is adapted to compensate for uneven floors or any slight inaccuracies in the pedestals or legs of thefurniture or cabinets and tilting or rocking of the furniture or cabinets thereby prevented; the construction being such that the caster will auto matically adjust itself to such uneven conditions as frequently arise in the placing of furniture or cabinets.

The objects and advantages of my improvement will be more readily compre hended from the following description of the drawing, wherein V Figure 1 illustrates my improved caster shown applied to the pedestal or leg of a piece of furniture; the leg and portions of the socket member ofthe caster being shown in section.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cap member or sleeve adapted to receive the upper end of the spindle of the caster.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the upper part of the spindle of the caster.

Figure 1 illustrates a modified form of my invention, portions of which are shown in vertical section, with the caster proper in side elevation. a

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4. c

In the particular exemplification of the invention as shown'in Figure 1; the wheel or roller indicated at 10 is of the usual construction and rotatably mounted on its axis or pin 11 between the bifurcated portion 12 of the post or spindle 13. The spindle 13 is adapted to extend into the socket member 14 which latter is driven into the leg or supporting portion of the furniture or cabinet and held against rotation or movement. The upper end of the spindle or post 13 is reduced, as more clearly shown in Figure 3, with the reduced portion provided, at an Specification of Letters Patent. Application 1115a July 23,

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

1919. Serial No. 312,673.

intermediate point, with'a collar 15 so as to provide a cylindrical socket of more or less width intermediate of the lower portion of the spindle or post and said flange 14 for the reception of a lug or pin 16 disposed through the side of lug or pin 16 extending into the cylindrical socket of the spindle or post 13, it is evident that accidental withdrawal of the caster from the socket member will be prevented by the collar 15, but, on the other hand, the caster will have considerable vertical play within the socket member due to the vertical width of the cylindrical socket formed at the reduced end of the spindle or post intermediate of the main portion and said circumferential flange 15.

The upper reduced end of the spindle or post 13 is preferably rounded, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, and is provided with a sleeve or cap 17, shown in detail in Figure 2; the upper end of the sleeve or cap 17 being closed so as to provide suitable bearing for an expansible coil spring 18 arranged in the upper end of the socket member 14 and also permit the caster spindle to rotate in the cap 17. In order that the lower end of the spring may have suitable bearing and not induce a binding relation between the sleeve or cap 17 and the socket member 14:, I prefer to provide the plate or washer 19 intermediate of the lower end of the spring and the closed end of the sleeve or cap as shown in Figure 1.

The caster, as illustrated in Figure 1, is shown at its maximum outward position due to the action of spring 18; said maximum position being determined by the projection or lug 16 coming into abutting relation with the circumferential flange 15. The projection 16 may be formed and secured in any suitable manner and forced into position after the spindle or post with the cap or sleeve and expansion spring have been properly inserted in the socket member 14.

It is evident from the construction shown and described that the caster will readily adjust itself to slight inaccuracies or unevenness, as the spring 18 is under constant compression and tends to force the caster into the maximum distended position shown in Figure 1, so that any teetering or tilting of the furniture or cabinet will be prevented.

In Figures 4 and 5, I illustrate a modified form of my invention wherein a bowed the socket member 14. With thespring 20 is employed instead of thefcoil spring 18 and adapted'to be placed to the exterior of the furniture leg or cabinet pedestal. spindle of the caster is formed in the manner shown in Figure 1 and secured within the socket member let in the same manner as previously described whereby the accidental withdrawal of the spindle or post is prevented, but vertical play of the spindle permitted to a predetermined extent as in the to have vertical play and will constantly construction shown in Figure 1, The bowed spring 20 is formed of a strip of properly tempered sheet metal bent into the elliptical or oval form with the integral or continuous side of the strip apertured for the passage of the spindle or post 13, while the ends are bent in opposing direction and preferably cut out or socketed; so as to fit about the spindle or post as shown at 21 in Figure 5;

where the ends are preferably shown made slightly narrower than the intermediateor main portion of the spring. The continuous side of the spring is preferably disposed on the lower side, namely toward the roller 10, while the split side is adjacent the furniture-leg or socket member 14. s It is evident that this construction will permit the caster maintain the roller -10 at its normal outward point of movement and therefore n supporting relation with. the floor because'of ing or swaying of the furniture or cabinet.

My improved construction is especially adapted for use in connection with phonograph cabinets where itis essential to have the cabinet-in substantially level position in .Yith this construction, the post on order that proper operation of the phonograph, through the swinging of the tonearm, may be obtained. i

Ihave shown and described what'i believe to be the simplest and best adaptations of the invention, which, however, is susceptible of embodiment in different form from that disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention,

What I'fclaim 1. A caster of the class described, coinprising a socket member adapted to be inserted into a socket in the element to be supported by the caster, a shank or spindle romeans whereby said spindle is permitted held a ainst accidental withdrawal, the outer end of said spindle being provided with a wheel or, roller, and a bowed sprlng formed of sheet metal and apertured for the passage of said shank or spindle, said spring being disposed about the shank or spindle intermediate of the outer'end of sald socket tatably mounted in said socket 'member,

longitudinal movement in the socket but member and the wheel or roller containing end of said shank or spindle.

2. A caster of the character described, comprising a socket member, a shank or spindle rotatably mounted in said socket member and arranged to have longitudinal movement therein, the outer endof said shank or spindle being bifurcated, a wheel or roller rotatably mounted between said bifurcations, and "a strip of resilient metal bent intojelliptic or oval form and disposed V intermediate of the outer end of said memher and the bifurcations of said shankor spindle, with the ends of said strip socket-ed and disposed about the spindle or shank while the intermediate portion of said strip isapertured for the passage of said shank or spindle. I v B'URR B. BLOOD.

Witnesses: if

' G. HEIDMAN,

F. A. FLORELL. 

